


Enigma

by BatchSan



Category: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Angst, F/F, Femslash, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Thieves Guild storyline, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-05
Updated: 2014-05-09
Packaged: 2018-01-22 00:02:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1568693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BatchSan/pseuds/BatchSan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Karliah works toward a better understanding of her fellow Nightingale, but Kelle is frustrating.</p><p>Set post- Thieves Guild storyline but before activating the part of the Main storyline where the Dovahkiin discovers they are the Dovahkiin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sheeana](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sheeana/gifts).



> This is based partially on how I played my game (avoiding activating the dragons from always being overhead until I leveled up to a decent place, which happened to be after becoming Guildmaster) and my personal headcanon where Brynjolf acts more like a father figure to the Dragonborn (if the DB is younger than him, that is).
> 
> Also more Skyrim femslash for the win! =D
> 
> Hope this is to your liking sheeana!

Given how long she had spent yearning for Mercer's death, once he had fallen and the dust had settled, Karliah felt surprisingly empty. Perhaps she had hoped to feel some great sense of peace with his end, and while there was a small sense of that, ultimately, Karliah just felt as though another day had gone by. It was disappointing. Worst still, now that she had fulfilled her vendetta, she wasn't sure what she should do next. In hindsight, she hadn't thought she would ever see this through simply because she figured she would have probably died trying to accomplish it. A fate far less crueler than agonizing years over your fallen beloved.

She wasn't dead, however, and that felt wrong somehow. Selfish, even, if she were to jest about it.

Brynjolf had explained the true events of that fateful day twenty five years ago to the others in the Guild and with some hesitation, she was welcomed back into their ranks. It was nice to be part of the Guild again; to be part of civilization at all, not just the seedy outskirts of it. But there had been too much time gone past for the Guild's embrace to feel as warm and secure as it once had so Karliah continued to spend more time within the Nightingales' Hall. There she felt warm and secure; at home.

Many nights, Kelle would come to check on her under the guise of taking a break from her duties as the new Guildmaster. Karliah had been uncertain of Kelle at first, even after saving her from Mercer's attempt at her life. The Bosmer hadn't exactly been bubbling with gratitude after Karliah had fixed her up, but all things considering, at least she gave Karliah the chance to explain her side of the story. She was eternally grateful for that.

In time, they had built a fairly stable friendship, albeit wrought within a short time and with the possibility of failure to Mercer looming over their heads throughout. Kelle, while a bit of a loner, was fairly easy to get along with. Though she often pushed away from Brynjolf and Karliah whenever things felt more family than friends, which was often. Somehow, Brynjolf had taken up a fatherly stance toward Kelle, which was fun to see from the outside, especially when Kelle would use her smaller stature to her advantage to take off quickly from him when he tried to give her unwanted advice.

It did put Karliah in a slightly awkward position though. She felt a special bond with Kelle, one that went deeper than their Nightingale alliance. It felt sisterly at times but rarely. Quick to sense whatever it was as well, Kelle often made an excuse to leave from Karliah's presence for a day or two. The nights she would visit Karliah in the Hall seemed extra special to the Dunmer.

"You seem weary tonight," Karliah said, sitting across from Kelle at a table in the more cavenous part of the Hall. "Have you been hiding from Bryn again?"

Tucking a short strand of auburn hair behind her ear, Kelle shook her head. "I was up late last night on a fishing job for Vex. Haven't slept yet."

Karliah raised an eyebrow at this but let it slide. "I see," she said simply. "Have you heard of the dragon attack at Markath?"

This piqued Kelle's attention - she had the oddest fascination with these rumors. Well, rumors in that Karliah had yet to see a dragon and it had been three months easy since the murmur of a dragon attack at Helgen.

Though she was interested by the rumor, Kelle lapsed into silence. A touch of her shoulder jolted her - Karliah was confused by this.

"What?" she queried.

Drinking deeply from her flagon, Kelle grimaced against the taste of the ale. On more than one occasion the Bosmer had expressed her dislike of alcoholic beverages but she always forced a flagon down, just to be courteous.

"It's nothing," Kelle answered when the flagon was empty.

"I thought we were on more comfortable terms and past this avoidance of things." Karliah paused. "You've seen one, haven't you? A dragon."

Dark eyes flickered toward Karliah, then quickly away. It was evident that Kelle struggled with a respectable answer. Karliah drank from her own flagon, keeping an eye on the other woman, and waited patiently for an answer.

"I was in Helgen when the dragon attacked," she finally said. She fell silent afterward, Karliah releasing a frustrated breath. "I came to Riften after I escaped," Kelle offered, enigmatic to the bitter end.

"So the rumors are true?" Kelle nodded, taking a piece of cheese with her dagger.

The knife was crafted from glass, its blade nearly transparent in its thinness with an emerald inlay crafted into its handle - only the soft red glow about the blade hinted at its true danger. The blade melted the cheese slightly, leaving a clean cut in its wake. Karliah once tried to imagine the blade's effect on flesh but the thought unnerved her--Kelle never used it on anyone, at least not yet in front of Karliah.

The blade, like its owner, was mysterious and dangerous, but fascinated Karliah to no end.

"Yes, dragons have returned to the land," the Bosmer answered before slipping the bit of cheese into her mouth. Chewing slowly, she waited until she had swallowed the bite to add, "The end times are near - just when Brynjolf was finally getting the hint about what he could do with his advice."

Although she smiled, Karliah felt uneasy.


	2. Chapter 2

Dwarven ruins weren't Karliah's favorite cup of tea but Brynjolf had made her accompany Kelle on her trek to one. It was only polite to follow her inside once they had reached their destination. There were, however, several concerns that arose when it came to a Dwarven ruin, but two were of greatest concern.

Firstly, the thick billows of steam sometimes hid hallways, ledges, or whole sections of ruin. This meant one would have to rely heavily on their ears. Unfortunately that brought about the second major concern: the inability to hear. The loud clanks, hisses of steam, and whirring of ancient gears and cogs made navigation difficult. Those that fooolishly charged in head first often ended up dead, impaled through by an unseen Dwarven Sphere or crushed by a devastating blow by a Steam Centurion.

Not that these things greatly worried Karliah nor, it seemed, Kelle. As thieves, they were well versed in being able to hear distinct sounds over a din, and one did not need to rely too much on sight if keen hearing was an ability they had. But there were still many other dangers and it seemed more than a little waste of time to bother with these places.

"You seem bothered," Kelle pointed out as she picked a lock on a Dwarven container.

"I'm not. I'm only wondering why you wished to come to a trap- and Falmer-riddled den such as this?"

"I'm looking for something," Kelle answered simply. She dug through the now open container and stuffed anything of value into her bag that could garner a pretty gold piece from Tonilia.

"I could help you search if I knew what it was."

"The only thing I need you searching for is a Steam Centurion or one of those infuriating Spiders."

The Dunmer made a face. "I came as a friend, not a lookout," Karliah gritted.

"No, you came because Brynjolf worries I'll trip over my feet in the wilderness and impale myself with my own dagger." Kelle shouldered her bag and offered her a small smile. "But I appreciate your company all the same," Kelle said.

Stepping past Karliah, she went ahead of her a few paces to a locked gate, behind which laid a heavy chest made of thick slabs of rock. The locks were easy to pick, but getting the lid off was nothing short of a nightmare. Together they pushed and when there was a gap of space, Karliah found a large strut to slip in just enough to give them leverage to force the lid off the rest of the way. Inside were two large gears, three emeralds, one sapphire, Dwarven armor boots, and a Dwarven bow. Kelle's hands went immediately to the bow, picking it up in something akin to reverence.

"Is this what you've been seeking?" Karliah asked. "A bow?"

Beneath the bow laid a quiver of arrows that contained two dozen Dwarven arrows. Quickly shouldering the quiver, Kelle nodded as she then scooped up the gems. Handing the emeralds to Karliah, she looked over the sapphire, likely contemplating how to add its beauty to her new bow, the Dunmer figured.

"I've heard interesting things about Dwarven weapons, their bow especially. But as you know, they are hard to come by. If only I could find a Dwarven dagger. Sadly, I've heard those are extremely rare to come by." Kelle looked over the boots before sticking them in her bag. They were too big for it but she made them fit.

"I don't understand you sometimes," Karliah said, pocketing the emeralds after having looked them over. "You skip out on your Guildmaster duties--often, mind you--to risk your life for you queer pursuit of ancient and nearly forbidden weaponry. Why?" Karliah asked.

"'Why?'" Kelle repeated, tipping her head to the side.

A shiver ran up Karliah's spine at the look in the other woman's eyes. The Bosmer tended to guard her expressions, looking often disinterested, even while jesting. But right then, something amused and dark flickered through her eyes, a light smirk pulling at her lips. Just as soon as it appeared, it was gone, replaced with a slight furrow of her brow.

Roughly, Kelle pushed Karliah to the side and with speed that came only with repeated practice, she drew her dagger and leapt forward, the glowing glass blade raised above her head. In her moment of distraction with Kelle's eyes, Karliah had failed to notice a Falmer creep up behind her. It screeched horrible as the burning blade bit through its' chest, piercing its' heart in the one arched swing. The smell of burnt flesh reached the Dunmer's nose as the creature fell limply to the stone floor.

Heart thundering loudly in her chest from surprise, Karliah realized for the first time the familiar tendrils of an emotion that had come to mean nothing but pain to her--love.

"Thank you," Karliah said, her tongue too heavy suddenly.

"You're a shitty lookout," Kelle replied, extracting her blade and flicking her wrist to get the blood off the glass. "And you're welcome."

Sheathing her dagger, Kelle picked up her bag and bow from where she had dropped them and continued through the ruins. The woman was, Karliah thought, frustrating.

"And to your question," Kelle called over shoulder, "why not?"

Frustrating, Karliah thought as she followed.


	3. Chapter 3

_Dovahkiin_

The word was ancient, part of tales she had heard as a child, but Karliah never dreamt she would live to see the old prophecy come to life.

A dragon lied before Kelle, very much dead. It's large, black maw stood ajar not ten feet from her, heat still emanating from within. Arrows dotted its' dark, scaly body--Kelle's Dwarven bow still clenched tightly in her grasp--but the killing blow had been the shout from her now tightly pressed together lips.

A strong wind picked up, blowing back the hood of the Bosmer's Nightingale armor, her hair dancing in the wind. From her perch on a rocky ledge above the scene, Karliah stared on in awe. The word bubbled from her lips without thought, entwining in the wind and carrying down to Kelle's ears.

"Dovahkiin."

The Bosmer looked up to her fellow Nightingale, seeing her for the first time. Surprise and confusion flashed across her features until she looked down again at the dragon. Karliah watched her inhale deeply, her brow furrowed in concentration. It took Karliah a moment to realize she was drinking in the aura leftover on the dragon. When she was done, the aura had vanished, leaving behind dense bones, yellowed and black as if scorched by flames.

A tremble went through Karliah - fear or anticipation, she couldn't decide.

"Dragonborn..."

**

Word spread quickly of the return of the dragonborn, deeply worrying most whom were already concerned with the Civil War. To the surprise of most, Kelle seemed unimpressed by the news.

"Our members are up a hundred percent from when I began," Kelle said, looking up from the papers on her desk.

Exasperated, Brynjolf ran a hand through his hair. If he continued doing it every time Kelle did or said something that confounded him, there were bets going about that he would be bald by next winter.

"Did you hear what I said, lass?" he asked. "There's word coming in from nearly every town with a Jarl saying they wish to talk with you. Even Ulfric Stormcloak is seeking an audience with you!"

Kelle waved her hand dismissively. "I've done nothing to warrant so much attention, nor do I care to have it. Let them speak to the wind for all I care."

"Kelle," Karliah spoke, seeing the Nord's distress. "This is a very serious matter; your conduct will reflect on your position here at the Guild. Did you not hear? There's a war going on here in Skyrim. Alliances are crucial at this time."

Studying the papers on her desk for a long, silent moment, Kelle finally sighed; a rare defeated slump in her shoulders.

"I suppose I have no choice then." Pushing away from the desk, she stretched out her back. Karliah did not shy away from staring at the indent of stomach hinted through the armor, nor the other woman's swell of breasts. She was certain Kelle knew she was looking because she made a point to stretch for longer than should have been comfortable. When their eyes met, Kelle gave away nothing; her careful facade in place, but the faintest of smiles flashed on her lips for a brief moment.

"I'll be away for some time, I'll leave things in your capable hands, Bryn," Kelle said.

"Of course," he readily agreed. "Be careful, lass, especially with Ulfric."

Nodding, Kelle walked off toward the entrance to the graveyard, slipping outside before any of the others realized she was gone. Blue eyes watched her go, slipping after her not a moment later. These were going to be difficult times ahead and anything could happen to any of them long before Kelle could return to Riften - Karliah didn't think she could handle not saying anything.

"I thought you might come to see me off," Kelle said, her voice surprising the other woman.

The Bosmer was seated atop the mausoleum, looking up at the constellations. She had been born under the Tower constellation - Kelle, the Shadow. For a moment Karliah allowed herself to trace those constellations with her eyes before looking at the other woman. 

"You're worried about me," Kelle said.

"Yes, because you're a stubborn idiot." Karliah picked a nightshade and examined its leaves carefully for something to do with her hands. "But I saw you take down a dragon with only your words, so no, I'm not worried about you."

In a smooth motion, Kelle hopped down from her perch. She plucked the nightshade from Karliah's hands and examined it herself. "If I wasn't mistaken, I would say you were," Kelle gently placed the flower in the other woman's hair, "taken with me."

They were standing close, their heights only differing by an inch or two, blue staring easily into dark brown ones. Karliah snorted and rolled her eyes, pushing the Bosmer back a half step that she quickly filled in.

"Even with such important tasks in your future you still feel the need to jest, honestly?"

Karliah's heart raced as Kelle ghosted a kiss against her lips. It was light enough for her to imagine it but there wasn't any reason she could imagine for wanting to do so. Her peace with Gallus had been made, and while his memory would always make her heart ache, moving on would make him happier than another twenty-five years of dwelling on the past.

"Perhaps it's only me then?" Kelle asked, slipping her arms around Karliah's waist.

She hesitated--fear tickling the back of her throat--before returning the gesture, hands light on the small of Kelle's back. She realized she'd forgotten how nice it felt to be this near to someone. While fear was still heavy on the back of her throat, a fear she knew time would help her to work past, Karliah leaned forward first. They kissed easily, as though they had done it dozens of times before.

"I'll be back soon," Kelle promised when they parted a moment later.

"I know." Karliah embraced the Bosmer, holding her tightly. "I know," she repeated, trying to believe it.

A hand groped her behind, making her blush and Kelle laugh. "You're worrying is as endearing as Brynjolf's," she chuckled. "I'll be fine."

With a final kiss, Kelle pulled away from Karliah and looked up at the night sky. "Besides," she said, "you have something of mine I want back."

Confused, Karliah realized something was tucked into her the back of her greaves. Reaching back, she found Kelle's sheath, her glass dagger tucked securely into it. Looking up, Karliah wasn't surprised to find the other woman gone, but her heart did clench slightly witth the worry she had tried to deny earlier.

Later, in the comfort of the Nightingale's Hall, Karliah took a moment to look over the dagger. It was as light as it looked but a test cut at a practice dummy confirmed its lethalness. Marveling at it, she realized she had never asked Kelle how she had come to own it - a question to ask when she saw Kelle next.

Slipping it back into its sheath, she noticed something she had overlooked previously - a blue inlay addition to the green one in the hilt. The blue looked eerily like her own eye color.

"Oh," Karliah chuckled to herself, "she is smitten."

Yes, Kelle was frustrating, but now she suddenly didn't seem so impossible to decipher. Karliah looked forward to unraveling the rest of her mystery, one day.


End file.
